22 Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History. 



foliage, dividing his time between adjusting his plumage 

 and singing sweet little dities to his mate, she, more 

 than likely, being just within the entrance of her 

 domicile on her eggs. Occasionally he remains perfectly 

 motionless on his green perch, probably deep in thought 

 or in a reminiscent mood, but suddenly bursting out 

 with 'pee\ tsweet., tsweet, tsv^eet^ tsweet^ tsweet^ he darts 

 away in search of some fat unsuspecting spider for his 

 better half. 



The notes of alarm, anger, or distress, are somewhat 

 sharp, being compared to those of the large-billed water 

 thrush by Mr. Wm. Brewster. According to this author, 

 there is another song, which might be termed a love 

 sonp^ He describes it as follows: "In addition to the 

 song above described the male has a different and far 

 sweeter one, which is reserved for select occasions, — an 

 outpouring of the bird's most tender feelings, intended 

 for the ears of his mate alone, like the rare evening war- 

 ble of the oven-bird {Slums auricapillus) . It is appar- 

 ently uttered only while on the wing. Although so low 

 and feeble as to be inaudible many rods away, it is very 

 sweet, resembling somewhat the song of the canary, 

 given in an undertone, with trills or 'water-notes' in- 

 terspersed. The flight during its delivery is very differ- 

 ent from that at all other times. The bird progresses 

 slowly, with a trembling, fluttering motion, its head 

 raised and tail expanded. This song was heard most 

 frequently after incubation had begun."* I cannot remem- 

 ber ever hearing this song. It certainly must be quite 

 rare, and, as Mr. Brewster says, kept for select occasions. 

 After nesting, the males gradually stop singing, although 

 a few persistent ones may be occasionally heard quite 

 late in the season. 



The fast decaying driftwood, tossed among the trees 

 by the surging waters of a spring freshet, and left float- 

 ing or pai'tly submerged in the stagnant pools or back- 

 water, contains myriads of insects upon which the pro- 



*Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol. III. (1878). p. 1-57. 



